ep. 17: Karee Hays

Karee Hays talks turning her passion for skincare into her career, the active ingredients that should be in every skincare regimen and why she shaves her face(!)

Karee Hays office in Nashville. Kristin Barlowe Photography

Our guest this week is Karee Hays, the owner and founder of the full-service skincare laboratory and advanced medical-grade skincare product line Karee Hays Esthetics.

Karee Hays is a living, breathing example that it is never too late to pursue a dream. At the age of 38 – married with three children, no college degree and in need of helping provide for her family in the depths of the recession – Karee turned her passion for skincare into a career. Her first foray into the business was with her blog Skin Girl, a blog so popular that a Nashville dermatologist called her up to encourage her to go to school to “get legit.” Today, seven years later, Karee is perhaps the most trusted and in-demand medical aesthetician and skincare specialist in Nashville, serving clients like Lily Aldridge, Faith Hill, Kristin Cavallari and our previous podcast guest Libby Callaway.

We talked to Karee about the products in her skincare line that are the “Bentleys of Anti-Aging,” the active ingredients that should be in everyone’s routine and her method for creating a custom skincare regimen for her clients. We also discussed why she swears by women shaving their face and exactly how to do it. Karee shared the truth about waiting to use Retin-A until your skin is bone dry and how to get through the “Retin-A Uglies.” Karee also shared the hair oil she uses on her body and the perfume she uses that makes strangers stop her on the street to ask for her secret.

You can find Karee at Karee Hayes Esthetics in Nashville's Green Hills neighborhood (2309 Crestmoor Rd, Suite 200), online at KareeHays.com and on Instagram @kareehays. For those outside the Nashville area, reach out to Karee to inquire about Karee coming to you!